Internal combustion engine



June 19, 1934- H. c. EDWARDS 1,963,615

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed A pril 22. 1931 6I gnvemtoz Himsa-'HTC EDWAHDE im, ployed 'as the power plant for an aeroplane be der and through which airy is drawn intoA the 65r Patented June 19, 1934 1,963,615

UNITED.'- sfrArE-s PATENT OFFICE 1,963,615V INTERNAL coMUsrroN ENGINE Herbert C. Edwards, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Packard Motor `Car Company, Detroit, Mich., a

corporation of Michigan Application April z2,--1931, seria1 No. 532,013

.7 claims. (o1. 123410) This invention relatesfto internal combustion terior transversely extending reinforcing wall engines and more particularly topush rod 17. The compartment 18 houses apair of cams mechanism, 19 and' 20, which are driven from the crank l In engines having their push rods projecting shaft in a conventional manner, and mechanism 5 through the crank case-so that a portion thereof which is actuated thereby to operate the valve 60 is in anexposed relation exteriorly of the crank 21 and the pressure fuel injectionVK device which case, oil-works out of'the rod sleeves or guides. is indicated generally at 22. The valvey 21 is Such leakage of the oil is objectionable andis arranged to'clo'sethe interior end ofl a passage especially undesirable `when the engine' is em- 23 which extends through the head of thecylincausev the oil travels' rearwardlyl and spatters cylinder and exhaust is expelled therefrom by theV windshield so thatthe operators vision is the piston. e obscured. It will be understood that the yengine illus- An object of the inventionis-toprovide avnovel trated is of the four-cycle ltype,tl 1e air charges "'il and improved internal combustion engine "on vbeing draw-n into the cylinderfon the suction 70 which loil leakage through the push rod guides stroke and then compressed onthe compression tothe exterior of the engine is'eliminated; stroke during which time atomized liquid fuel Another object off the invention` is to provide under high pressure is injected' into the 'cylinder aninternal combustion engine having push rods by the 'injection device 22. The fuel mixture, '20"1 extending through the crank-case in vwhich oil 'so formed, ignites under compression and pro;y 72;]- in suspension in the crank case is ,utilzed'to' duces a working stroke which isfollowed by'an lubricate the push'rod guide sleeves withoutleakexhaust stroke. The valve is normally closedY age to the exterior' of the engine. bya plurality of -coil springs 24 and 'is mechani- Still another object of they invention is to procally openedby the rock lever 25 which is piv evide an internen combustion eng-'me in Whienthe oted at 26 to a, bracket V2'1 extending Aabove the 8'@ push rod and guidestructures therefor are cylinder head. An enclosing casing 28 surrounds utilized to produce suctionV which wi1lcollect the valve structure and they valvev operating' lubricant from the bearing surfaces adjacent the rocker. It will tbe understood that the rocker exterior end of the guides and return the'c'ollect-` is moved to hold the valve open lduring the ex-l {302 ed Oil under pressure to the crank case.; haust and intake strokes, and that the valve is g5 These and other objects of the yinvention, will Closed by the Springs during'the compression and appear from the lfollowing description taken' in Working strokes;v e connection with thedrawingwhich'forms a part A shaft 29 extends transversely of the comof thisspecication,` andin which: i partment 18 and isy carried bythe walls 16 and fs' Fig. 1 illustrates'an elevational view of a frag- 17. A pair of slippers 30 and 31 are mounted 90 mentary portion of a radial type of engine havat one end upon the shaft 29 and are arranged ing portions broken awayfand in section to show to berocked respectively by the cams 19 and 20 the interior ofthe crank caseand the 'valve and in their rotation. l y push rod construction; A n articulated push rod' structure is arranged i); Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the intermediate the slipper ,30 and the rock lever 25. 9-5 valve push rodstructure taken on line' 2-2 of Thisrod structure includes a sectional guide por- Figgl; A w tion' 32 inthe form of a two-diameter piston', a Fig. 3 isa similar'view of the pump Ypush rod rod 33V pivotallyengaging the `piston and the structure taken on `line 3-3 of Fig. 1. y lever 2 5 and; another rod 34 pivoted between'the 315i In the drawing, 10 represents a barrel-like free end of the slipper and the piston. 'I'he crank 100 crank case from which cylinders, as indicated case is fonned'wi'th an opening for the reception at 11, extend radially andare secured in position of a guide member 35, or sleeve, with a two-y therewith by a pair of `compression bands 12 diameterbore in which *the push rod section 32 which extend `around cylinder shoulders 13 is housed. 'Suitable fastening means, in the form lsolwhich bear against thecra'nk case. A piston 14 of bolts 36, extend through flanges 37 on the 105 is'reciprocated within/each'cylinder and is con-v sleeve for securing the same to the crank case. nected toa crankshaft (notk shown)v by means The valve push rod piston is formed with a of the connecting rod l5 in the usuall manner. two-diameter bore or passage into which is tele- The crank Vcase is provided with a` rear cover scoped-a valve housing 58 Vand a bearing section 255.116 and is divided into compartments byanin- 39. The kvalveh'ousing `is formed'with a shoul- 110 der 40 which abuts the shoulder formed by the two diameters of the piston bore, and the bearing section is formed with a shoulder 41 for engaging against the inner end of the piston. The sections of the piston are held in axial relation through their association with the rock lever and the slipper.

A passage extends through the piston or guide section of the valve push rod structure through which lubricant is returned under pressure to the interior of the crank case. The board piston is formed with a radially extending opening 42 and complementary to such opening is a circular groove 43 around the valve member so that communication with the radial opening will be maintained regardless of relative rotation. A passage 44 extends through the valve member and communicates with the groove therein, while the end of the valve member engaging the bearing section is slotted at 45 so that the passage 44 is intersected. The bearing member is formed With a longitudinally extending passage 46 therethrough which communicates with the space between the valve member and the piston and with the interior of the crank case. Within the passage 44 is a one-way valve in the form of a ball 47 which is normally seated by the spring 48. Flow of lubricant through the vpassage can therefore be only toward the interior of the crank case. Y

The crank case contains a body of oil which, during engine operation, works between the guide 35 and the piston 32 of the push rod structure and lubricates such bearing surfaces. Reciprocation of the piston will normally work the oil through the guide where it would escape from.

the end exterior of the crank case, but with the structure herein described such leakage of oil is prevented. As the piston moves inwardly of the guide sleeve, suction which will draw any oil from between the smaller diameter portion of the piston and the sleeve back into the larger bore portion of the sleeve. Upon the outward stroke of the piston, the oil which has been drawn or which has moved into the larger diameter bore of the sleeve will be placed under pressure by the larger diameter portion of the piston so that it will be moved through the port 42 into the groove 43 and through the passage 44, slots 45 and the passage 46. Thus the oil is trapped and moved through the guided push rod section back into the crank case during reciprocation of the push rod structure.

Within the fuel injection device is a plunger 49, and between such plunger and the slipper 31 is another articulated push rod structure which is similar to the valve push rod structure. A guide member 50, in the form of a sleeve, extendsthrough an opening in the crank case and is secured to the case by bolts V51. The sleeve has a two-diameter bore in which the two-diameter sectional guided portion 52, or piston portion, of the push rod is arranged to be reciprocated. The piston extends through the sleeve exteriorly of the crank case and an adjustable extension 53 is screwed therein, such extension bearing against and operating the plunger of the injection device. The larger end of the piston is formed with an axial bore 54 terminating in a smaller diameter extension portion 55, and screwed into the bore is a bearing member 56. A rod 61 engages in a socket in the bearing member and bears against the slipper 31.

Passages 57 connect the bore extension 55 with the space between the smaller diameter of the piston and the larger diameter of the guide sleeve, and the bearing member is formed with an axially extending bore 58 in the enclosed end which terminates in a passage 59 which opens into the interior of the crank case. A connection thus extends through the sectional piston to drain oil, which would normally escape to the exterior, back into the crank case from the guide. In the bore 54 is a one-way ball valve 59 held in seated position by the coil spring 60 which is carried in the bore in the bearing member. A lock washer 62 is arranged intermediate the piston and the bearing member to prevent relative rotation thereof.

Oil from the crank case works outwardly between the guide sleeve and the piston 52, and any oil working between the smaller diameters thereof will be drawn back by suction into the larger diameter bore of the sleeve when the piston of the push rod structure moves toward the interior of the crank case. Upon the outward movement of the piston, any oil working o-r drawn into the space between the larger diameter piston section and the smaller diameter of the sleeve bore will be placed under pressure and forced through the passages 57, the bores 55, 54 and 58, and through the passage 59 into the interior of the crank case.

In both forms of push rod structures, the guided section, automatically collects oil by suction and returns the same under pressure back into the crank case through a passageway extending through the piston. As such passageways have a one-way valve associated therein, they are closed during the inward movement of the push rod structures but can be forced open during the outward movement of the rod structures. Through means of such oil control, there will be no leakage through the end of the guides projecting beyond the crank case, although the bearing surfaces of the guides and guided rod sections will be adequately lubricated.

While I have herein described in some detail a specic embodiment of my invention, which I deem to be new and advantageous and may specifically claim, I do not desire it to be understood that my invention islimited to the exact details of the construction, as it will be apparent that changes may be made therein Without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In an internal combustion engine, a crank case having an opening through its wall, a guide sleeve extending through the opening in the crank case, a push rod structure extending through the crank case wall and including a section mounted to reciprocate in the guide sleeve, and one-way duct -zneans leading from the interior of the sleeve through said push rod section to the interior of the crank case for by-passing lubricant, said push rod structure and said sleeve cooperating to create suction in the duct means in one direction of the push rod structure movement and to create pressure in the duct means in the other directionA of the push rod structure movement.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a crank case having an opening through its wall, a guide sleeve extending through the opening in the crank case, a push rod structure extending through the crank case wall and including a piston slidably mounted in the sleeve, said piston having a by-pass extending therethrough for connecting the interior of the sleeve with the interior of the crank case, and a one-Way valve in said by-pass,

3. In an internal combustion engine, a crank case having a guide extending through its wall, a push rod structure extending through the crank case wall and including a piston slidably mounted in the guide, and one-way duct means extending through a side of said piston and communicating with the interior of the crank case.

4. In an internal combustion engine, a crank case having a guide sleeve extending through its wall, a push rod structure extending through the crank case wall and including a piston portion slidably mounted in the sleeve, said sleeve having a relief intermediate its ends in which oil is collected, and a valved by-pass means through the piston for returning the co1- lected oil to the interior of the crank case, said piston drawing oil into the relief in one direction of its movement and forcing oil through the by-pass in its other direction of movement.

5. In an internal combustion engine, a crank case having a guide sleeve extending through its wall, said guide sleeve having a two-diameter bore therethrough, a push rod structure extending through the guide, said structure including a two-diameter piston arranged complementary with the two-diameter bore of the guide sleeve, and one-way duct means through the piston for establishing communication between the larger diameter of the sleeve bore and the interior of the crank case, lubricant being drawn into the largerl diameter of the sleeve bore from the smaller diameter thereof by suction when the piston moves inwardly of the crank case and such collected oil being forced into the crank case through the by-pass when the piston moves outwardly in the sleeve.

6. In an internal combustion engine, a crank case having a guide sleeve extending through its wall, a pushY rod structure including a piston slidably mounted in the guide sleeve and a bearing member telescoping into the inner end of said piston, said piston and bearing member having a one-way by-pass extending therethrough for returning oil from the interior of the guide sleeve to the interior of the crank case.

'1. In a'n internal combustion engine, a crank case having a guide sleeve extending through its wall, and a push rod structure including a piston slidably mounted in the guide sleeve, a bearing member associated with the inner end of the piston, said piston and bearing member having a passage extending therethrough establishing communication between the interior of the guide sleeve and the interior of the crank case, and a one-way valve in said passageway arranged intermediate the piston and the bearing member.

HERBERT C.l EDWARDS. 

